Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-03-25
FEMALE HORSE THIEVES.
A Gang Broken Up by the Indiana Horse
Thiaf Detective Force.


AURORA. Ind, March 20 Mr. Britten, Of
the Indiana Horse Thief Detective Secret
Service force, spent few hours in the city
yesterday on official business, and among
other naattors, related briefly the history Of
a horse thief rendezvous just across the bor-
der on the Illinois side that he had assisted in
breaking The place was run by q woman
and her two daughters In the rear OF their
rude dwelling was dense thicket covering
many acres Of ground. In this thick copse
the animals that were stolen from time to
time were secreted.
The absence Of any men folks aided in
throwing suspicion from the lone women,
and their humble home was never believed to
be the resort Of some of the worst horse
thieves in the country, and only through the
confession of convicted member Of the gang
were the officers made aware Of the charac
ter Of the unsuspected place. When decent
was made on the house tho girls were there
alone and were placed under arrest, but one
of them succeeded in discharging gun, and
soon thereafter the mother emerged from the
thicket near the houss, but on discovering
the officers she fed back into the copse, and
although the officers gave chase she eluded
them, and by firing several shots from her
retreat, checked then continued persuit
Determined to capture her the arresting
party spread out along the edge Of the
wooded tract and cautiously essayed to pen
citrate from different directions Suddenly
the woman dashed out along narrow path
on horseback, riding man fashion. As quick
as the men could mount their animals they
followed the fugitive female, who rode as
fearlessly as q veteran trooper Failing to
catch her the officers opened fire upon her,
andsnot until they had galloped several miles
and wounded her so bally that she fell from
her painting horse, were they able to effect
her capture.
Then as soon as she recovered sufficiently
from her fall to speak, she swore at them,
and offered resistance until handcuffed and
tied to q seat in a wagon. A. revolver with
its chambers empty was in her pocket. Two
balls, one in the shoulder, the other in her
side, and her fall from her horse, failed to
conquer her, an she was landed in jail as
defiant as an Indian
A physician pronounced her injuries not
serious, and she may live to serve out q good
sentence The animal she was riding had
been stolen from Marion county, and in the
thicket, when investigated, thirteen horses
We're found secreted, all of which were be-
lieved TO have been stolen, owners having
been found for five OF them Feed was
found stored in the woods, and two buggies
that had been taken to pieces and COW
cred up.
The appearance of the place indicated that
It had probably been used a number of years
as depot for stolen animals to be kept until
they could be successfully disposed of, the
wo ren taking care of the beasts and receiv-
ing share Of the proceeds, as something
over $500 was found ia the house and a num-
Der of stolen articles. This, said the detec-
tive, was one of the best captures we made
during the past year, and broke up a gang
that beat the Tom Foster forces for daring
outlawry.
AEAAIk crnnAlc Ia 49, rAn-